How life and hope association translate the Buddha teachings Into real practice life changing life.
Prahkhru Dharmasereynhean Dharmatinno Lorn Loeurm,
The executive director of life and hope association A senior member of Siem Reap city monk Author for Correspondence: Email: [email protected]
Abstract
The purpose of research aimed to study the Buddhist status, khowledge, concepts, and philosophy that can make change for life especially positive changed which meant that change from suffered to comfortable, change from bad to good, change from blind to wisdom due to applying the Buddha Teaching (Dharma) into their daily life. Is is quantitative by taking some stories of some people who were in Buddha time who effectively taken the benefit and advantaged from right applied the Buddha Teaching and they could release them self from suffering even still in this world another research from stories from current people who effectively applied and they can live in very comfortable life.
In conclusion, so many human beings and living brings have lived with huge suffering which caused by needs, desire, greed, jealousy, anger, selfish, defilements, unwholesome mind and not know how to overcome them, not know what are the real meaning of life, and not know how to live in peaceful and harmonious way. So that, they have always felt sad when something goes wrong or do not meet their perspective or need such as broken heart, losing beloved one, fail in business, got sick, etc.. They cannot be able to accept but reject and feel is should not be like that and leaves their lives in the suffered mood for years. Buddha Teaching is the most important to help to heal people mind to accept the truth of life, the nature of life and the cycle of born of born and die and can live in peaceful, prosperous, and harmonious manner.
Keywords: how, LHA, Buddhism, life, and the sublime state of mind.
Introduction
Nowadays, some countries around the world changed to Buddha Teaching into their lives. Due to the world population, the people who believed and obeyed the Buddhist was recorded around 9% to 10% which equates to 4 8 8 million people. According to the demographic analysis report by Peter Harvey 2013 (www.google.org/Wikipedie.). If we go deep inside these numbers we will see that there is not all in these numbers are totally capable to take the advantaged from studying and applying the Buddha Teaching but very a little of them are able to gain the real test of applying the Buddha Teaching into their lives. And something we got some questions from people about the current behavior of Buddhist of committing the violence, revenge, corruption, killing, chatting, and others. They asked that why Buddhist people do like that? They used to hear that Buddhism is nonviolence, Buddhism is about loving- kindness and compassion so why?
Anyway, some people left Buddhism because they have not gained any result from their wholesome actions and they felt Buddhism is not reasonable, logistical or not helpful religion.
Turn to Cambodia society, according to the national population officially recorded ninety five percent (9 5 % ) of total population are Buddhism. So Buddhist devotees are the majority in Cambodia and even though, Buddhism has mentioned in our Constitution Law but if we ask how many people of Cambodia have giant the real meaning the Buddha Teachings? Rightly applied in their daily movements? Lived in the harmoniously and peacefully? We will find out that there are not so many.
On the other hand, our Buddhism has been listed in National Constitution Law as the "Religion of State" (Cambodian Constitution Law Ch-ӀӀӀ article 4 3 ) but due to the history we have seen that this country seems very long lasted by civil wars, violence, and killing each other that is not fit the Buddhist Concepts or Philosophy about peace, solitary, and compassion.
Many people are cruel and mean especially youth, businessmen, politicians, and the riches they seem not think about applying the morality, ethical, and Buddha Teaching into their life that is the cause of so many bad things continuously happen in our poor country without an ended such as the Pol Pot regime, the unforgettable history for Khmer People.
This suffering has made us aware that because the absence of the right applying the Buddha teachings or lack of the capacity to be right understood the Buddha teachings and apply in the right way, On the other hand, they feel Buddhism is useless and unhelpful for them so, they do not care about how to apply. The loving kindness, compassion, sharing culture, and enjoyment are going so far and violence, hatred, angriness, selfish, jealousness, and others come to replace in the society.
Thus this research is going to find out "how LHA translates the Buddha Teachings into Real Practice to change the life" of many children, women, and poor families in various communities of Siem Reap Province, Cambodia by taking the Buddha Teaching based on "The Four Sublime State of Mind" into the real practice to share to the people in and outside Cambodia to learn and take as an example or to be a role model for applying into their own societies for making greater changes. through LHA Services based on Buddha
Objectives of research
1. To find out how to apply the Dharma into current movements of life effectively.
2. To explore the role model of people who met the greater changes in life Teachings (Dharma) guidance.
3. To promote the awareness of Buddha Teachings (Dharma) more and more into the daily interaction of the people in the society.
4 . To show how LHA can apply the Buddha Teachings into real practice for helping others to step out from ignorance, poverty, and suffering.
Scope of research
Take an action only in LHA and Projects by interviewing some Office staff. Project Managers, and some Beneficiaries
Definition of term used in research
1. HOW refers to the way to do. It means that the way to apply the Buddha Teaching (Dharma) into their practical life or action, speech, and thought.
2 . LHA is the name of Association. It stands for Life and Hope Association
3. BUDDHA Teaching refers to all Buddha's discoveries, teachings, concept, rules, principles, regulations, and philosophies which called Dharma.
4 . CHANGE refers to the procedures of transforming from one to another condition example from bad to good, from sad to happy, from suffering to harmony ete.
5. Real Practice refer to applying into daily life or daily movements of people from day to day.
6 . LIFE refers to the period of living time or from the period from born to death.
7 . The Four Sublime State of Mind refers to the name of the Buddha's teaching which there are factors such as Loving Kindness or Good Will, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity or Even- mindedness.
Research Method
This is Qualitative research involved two types of study namely, documentary research and field research, with the target group and research methodology as follows:
1 . Primary Data through interview face to face, phone, questionnaire, and observation with the target persons.
2 . Secondary Data which from Books, Tipitaka, Dharmapada, Scripture, Website, Internet, Social Media, Journal, and other related.
Results
Life and Hope Association was established on May 1 5 , 2 0 0 5 , by monks in Wat Damnak and friends. It has strongly committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing Compassionate and Loving Kindness Care and Educational Opportunities to vulnerable children and at-risk young women, We believe in Buddha's teaching that "All sufferings are rooted in ignorance." If we want to end the suffering we have to break the cycle of ignorance. LHA is eommitted to implementing the Buddha's teaching in real life in a process that is also transparent and accountable.
The monk at Wat Damnak views the work of LHA as the practical
implementatio of the Dharma in a manner that proposes gender equity and social justice by improving the lives of disadvantaged people.
Vision: We envision a fair and equitable society build on compassion and loving-kindness and offering education for all. Mission:
Our mission is to improve thequality of lives of those most in need by providing compassionate care and education opportunities to poor and vulnerable children and to disadvantaged young women.
Strategy Goal: Our goal is to develop a successful model of change through the Buddhist Wats in Cambodia that offers society's most disadvantaged people a significantly improved LIFE AND HOPE for a better future and then to replicate this model in other Wats to bring a transformational change to society.
Projects: There are 7 Projects: 1) Sustainable Community Projects (SCP) The monk of LHA enter into a social contract with poor families with children, where LHA provides basie support to the poor families in exchange for their promise to send their children to school instead of using them as source of income. In addition, LHA provides school uniforms and supplies. LHA also provides microloan with low interest to improve the future economic well-being of families. 2) Foreign Language School (FLS) offers English classes at low or no cost to enable young people, often from the countryside, the chance at better job opportunities. It was already transferred to the Wat. 3 ) Children Development Village (CDV) provides comfortable caring and smiling home with access to a good education for orphans and vulnerable children. 4) Park Hyatt Siem Reap & LHA Sewing School (STS) provides vocational training to disadvantaged young women to improve their quality of life, reduce the discrimination, and empower their futures. 5 ) Angkor Thom Junior Highs School. It is the school that provides general education in secondary levels which from grade seven to grade nine and run by the government but established and funded by LHA 6) Program Advancing Girls Education-(PAGE) provides secure living and educational opportunities to the girls who come from remote rural areas without access to high school. These young women are afforded the chance for a real education and the ability to determine their own futures.
7 ) . Buddhism in Social Program (BSP) aims to translate the Buddha's teaching (Dharma) to the daily life of families, communities, and Cambodian society by empowering the ability of monks and Wats is lives
of social service. BSP provides a scholarship to young monks, have monks build peace house for disadvantaged families, conduet leadership training for Wat leaders, broadcasts as an educational radio show, and provide emergency relief programs.
The stories of changes 1. Miss. Hab Ratha
Miss. Hab Ratha is 2 3 years old and from Somrong Year Village, Somrong Year Commune, Pouk District, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
She lived with thegrandmother and grandfather because her mother died when she was a baby and her father got a new wife and went away to live in another village that was so far from her village. She dropped out school when she was in grade 3 because the poverty and her grandma and grandpa were so old that eannot find out the money for supporting the family and her education. She was very challenged in her young life because she needed to do the work to support her life and grandma grandpa. She was elected to attend the vocational training program on Sewing Skill of Hotel De Lapex of Life and Hope Association in 2009 (2009-2010) of the 6th promotion which provided 4 0 lessons of how to make clothes included English, Khmer, Morality, and small business training teaching. For ten months. She was an outstanding student in the class and study hard included good behaved and friendly as well. After graduated from Sewing School, she worked as an employee in our social business for three years that could earn from $ US150 to $ US200 per month after that from 2013 -2015 she moved to work as staff at Mitsou Shop which runs by foreign women. There she could earn $ US1 8 0 per month and after the Mitsou Shop closed, she started her own business due to the skill that got from Sewing School and
Mitsou Shop. Now she can make at least $ US 4 0 0 per month. Her life is totally changed because of the compassionate support of LHA."Sewing School of LHA is the best place (center) for lower education girls to make different for my life, I am very grateful and appreciated in what LHA has done for helping women and girls". Ms. Ratha.
2. Land Leen, CDV's girl
Miss. Len Leen is 1 5 years old from the poorest family in Prasat Bakong District, Siem Reap Province. She was selected to stay in Children Development Village in 2010. " My parents left home for work and never come back again. I did not go to school for years because I had to look after my younger brother and youngest sister. We stayed with grandma, she couldn't afford to support us to go to school." Ms. Leen.
After LHA knew about her family from the village head, we came to visit and recruited her and her younger brother to live and study at CDV in 2012. Now she is 14 years old and studies grade 4 of primary school. She is one of the very excellent students who love to learn and study very hard.
As she always receives the first outstanding student award from the school since she was a grade 2 . She also receives daily extra courses at CDV that teaches English, Khmer and Math to all children after back from school.
"I am very happy to live here, I can have more opportunities to study than at my home. Here they provide me everything and after I finish high school I want to continue my education at the university because I want to be a doctor." Ms. Leen.
3. Yun Nhoeurm, page's student
Ms. Yun Nhoeurm is 24 years old from the rural and remote area of Srey Snom District, Siem Reap Province closed to the border between Khmer and Thai. His family is big and poor. She could not effort to junior high and high school levels because of poverty. She was recruited to be a Page student in 2007 to continue her education. She finished high school in 2012. After finished high school, she moved up to University through Page scholarship and she graduated her Bachelor Degree in Accounting Major at Build Bright University in 2015. Now, she has been worked as Accountant in Micro Finance in Siem Reap Province proper wages.
" I am very grateful to Page and LHA for providing me the great opportunity and support to access to me got a good education for improving my life. Actually, I had no dream about finished high and I thought that the certificate of high school is my great school but also graduated my bachelor degree through LHA's scholarship program especially pleasure but now, I not only finished high Page." Ms. Nhoeurm.
4. Ven. Sok Rem , BSP's Scholarship monk
Ven. Sok Rem was from Prasat Bakong District, Siem Reap Province. He has been a monk since 2009. After, being a monk he started his education through Bddhika School System (Pali School) and moved from the District to the town for his secondary and high school levels. From primary to high school is free but after finished high school, he could not
go to University because there was no money for University Fee. Through Higher Education Scholarship of Buddhism in Society Program of LHA, he was hopefully graduated his Bachelor Degree in English Lettererecture Major at Build Bright University and now he is in Master Degree of Education.
" I am personally aware that education is very important in self- developing and society. In so doing, 1 have been always struggled to pursue higher education since I was a high school student. But after I graduated in 2 0 1 0 , I lost my hope and dream when I could not afford the fee to attend the university until I received the scholarship that supported by Seal of Love Charitable Foundation in Hong Kong in 2012 from LHA. I am very happy to have this great educational opportunity through scholarship. I am really grateful to SOLCF's help. Without this great support, my dream never comes true."Ven. Sok Rem.
5. Ta Chan's family, receiving The Peace House Building
They live in a very small and old house made of palm leaves with eight people in Kompong Village, Ornlog Somnor Commune, Chikreng District, Siem Reap Province. One their youngest daughter has a heart leak since she was born but her parents cannot afford to send her to the hospital.
To help this family, we conducted emergency fundraising to get some minimum of money and sent her for the health check-up at the hospital in Siem Reap and she got well operation an operation. During this, we also built a new house for them. This house will be the fundamental property for the family to move forward and better accommodation for their children.
"We are very happy and lucky now. Due to the support of LHA of bringing our daughter to the hospital, got well operation, and building a very nice and good peace house for us. We are really thankful and appreciated LHA for the important and meaningful help." Mr. Chan.
Discussion
Due to the interview result from staff and beneficiaries of LHA and Projects of LHA. I found out that there are three significant ways that LHA take the Buddha Teaching into practice and help others to end up or break the cycle of ignorance and poverty and then meet the greater changes in life:
1 . LHA started its charitable services based on applying the two elements of the four sublime states of Mind are LOVING-KINDNESS AND COMPASSION which the teaching of the Buddha to be core value of creating and providing charitable services to serve the people who are in need in the communities especially, for women and children who are at risk to improve the quality of life through educational opportunities.
2 . The way how to translate the Buddha Teachings into the real practice of LHA included EDUCATION meant that in order to make sure that the process of translation is right and effective, LHA has not uses only LOVING-KINDNESS NAD COMPASSION but also use them with EDUCATION because LHA does believe that EDUCATION is the most POWERFUL FORCE to create the positive and effective CHANGES and IMPACTS in life.
3. To build the positive changes, besides the LOVING-KINDNESS, COMPASSION and EDUCATION, LHA also used HOPE. Based on the video on the LHA's website, the founder said that LHA has created the equation that LIFE + HOPE = CHANGE and LIFE +
4. HOPE + EDUCATION GREATER CHANGE which means that hope % 3 D is a started point of change but if HOPE coming up with EDUCATION, It reasonably makes the greater changes in life. With these three ways, LHA can translate the Buddha Teachings into real practice for helping and serving so many lives in many communities of Siem Reap Province to meet the greater changes in life especially, to break the cycle of ignorance and poverty by creating social and charitable services based on Buddhist Philosophy (Knowledge, concepts, and prin- ciples) more importantly focus on women and children who are at risk.
Conclusion
Based on the results and the discussion above I am pleased to make the conclusion that the ability to translate the Buddha Teachings into real practice in the daily movements of human beings is truly and effectively made the greater changed in which provided the multi happiness and peace to all over the world but it is still the question for many people around the world. Therefore, we try applying what we have learned and understood so that we can create the very positive impacts on our lives and society like LHA has done. Due to what LHA has done, thousand lives of children, girls.
and families who are behind have the opportunities to have the comfortable and secured living, good education, and better family economic and come up from cycle of ignorance and poverty.
Turn to my personal suggestion is that all people around the world should take some time to learn the Dharma (Buddha Teachings) to make sense clearly about "right understanding" on the Buddha Teachings and then try applying them in the daily movements of your life. I do believe that your life will totally change and something good such as happiness, peace, prosperity, harmonization, solidarity, and joyfulness will come into your life and it will be effected to the families, the communities, the countries, and the world.
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